John Gower (1330 – 1408)
English poet who wrote in English, French and Latin.
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What is a lond wher men ben none?
What ben the men whiche are alone
Withoute a kinges governance?
What is a king in his ligance,
Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?
What is to take lawe on honde,
Bot if the jugges weren trewe?
For loves lawe is out of reule.
For whan men wene best to have achieved,
Ful ofte it is al newe to beginne:
The werre hath no thing siker, thogh he winne.
But in proverbe I have herde say,
That who that wel his werk beginneth,
The rather a good end he winneth.
Bot for men sein, and soth it is,
That who that al of wisdom writ
It dulleth ofte a mannes wit
To him that schal it aldai rede,
For thilke cause, if that ye rede,
I wolde go the middel weie
And wryte a bok betwen the tweie,
Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore.
O fol of alle foles,
Thou farst as he betwen tuo stoles
That wolde sitte and goth to grounde.
He hath the sor which no man heleth,
The which is cleped lack of herte.
So goth the world, now wo, now wel.
Nevere yit
Was non, which half so loste his wit
Of drinke, as thei of such thing do
Which cleped is the jolif wo.
The beauté faye upon her face
Non erthly thing it may desface.
It hath and schal ben everemor
That love is maister wher he wile.
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